Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol and wood alcohol, is the simplest of the alcohols.  The name is derived from the Greek words "methy" (wine) and "hule" (wood).  Methanol is is found in wood smoke, and contributes to the odor of wine.  It is metabolized in the body to produce formaldehyde and formic acid, and is toxic if more than 50 mL is consumed; smaller amounts can cause blindness.

Industrially, methanol is produced from synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen derived from coke (the coal, not the soda) or methane.  Methanol is used as the fuel in some racing cars, and is being investigated as an renewable alternative to the use of petroleum-based fuels.  The main use of methanol, however, is in the manufacture of other chemicals, such as formaldehyde, which is used in the manufacture of plastics, paints, plywood, etc.

Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol and grain alcohol, is the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages.  The fermentation of the sugars found in honey, grain, or fruit juices by yeasts to yield beers and wines was probably the first chemical reaction to be discovered.

Ethanol can be purified and concentrated by fractional distillation, but ethanol and water form an constant-boiling azeotrope at a concentration of 95% ethanol and 5% water which cannot be separated by distillation; absolute ethanol, which contains no water, is produced by fractional distillation of 95% ethanol with small amounts of benzene.  Ethanol that is intended for industrial use is "denatured" (rendered unfit for human consumption) by adding small amounts of methanol, denatonium benzoate, or other unpleasant or toxic substances, which exempts the alcohol from liquor taxes.

Ethanol is metabolized in the body, primarily by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, to produce acetaldehyde; the buildup of acetaldehyde in the blood is one of the factors which contributes to the symptoms of a hangover.  Physiologically, ethanol acts as a depressant, but since it frees parts of the cortex from inhibitory controls, to its consumer, it seems to be a stimulant.

Ethanol is a primary (1º) alcohol, and is easily oxidized by mild oxidizing agents, such as chromic acid (H₂CrO₄) or potassium dichromate (K₂Cr₂O₇), in which the chromium is in the +6 oxidation state.  These substances undergo a distinct color change on reaction with ethanol:  in the +6 oxidation state chromium compounds are typically a dark reddish-orange color; after the alcohol is oxidized, the chromium is reduced to the +3 oxidation state, which is green.  The color change from red-orange to green forms the basis of some of the simple breathalyzer tests that are used to test motorists who are suspected of driving while drunk.

Ethanol can also be oxidized in air, forming acetic acid, the active ingredient in vinegar.  Alcoholic beverages that are not stored properly can end up tasting like vinegar because of the formation of acetic acid (see entry for acetic acid).

1-Propanol, or propyl alcohol, is a three-carbon alcohol with the OH group on an end carbon.  Its structural isomer, 2-propanol, is described below.

2-Propanol, or isopropyl alcohol, is a three-carbon alcohol with the OH group on the middle carbon.  Isopropyl alcohol is a secondary alcohol,   Rubbing alcohol is a solution of 70% isopropyl alcohol and 30% water, which is commonly used in sterilizing swabs and disinfectants.

Isopropyl alcohol is a secondary (2º) alcohol, and is easily oxidized by mild oxidizing agents.

1-Butanol, or butyl alcohol, is a four-carbon chain, with the OH group on an end carbon.  It is used as a solvent and a paint thinner, and has some potential use as a biofuel.

Butyl alcohol is a primary (1º) alcohol, and is easily oxidized.

There are three other structural isomers of 1-butanol:  2-butanol (sec-butyl alcohol), 2-methyl-1-propanol (isobutyl alcohol), and 2-methyl-2-propanol (tert-butyl alcohol).

2-Butanol, or sec-butanol, or sec-butyl alcohol, or s-butyl alcohol, is a four-carbon chain, with the OH group on the second carbon.  (Since the alcoholic carbon is connected to two other carbons, it is secondary, hence the prefix "sec".)  It is used as a solvent and an intermediate in the manufacture of other compounds.

sec-Butyl alcohol is a secondary (2º) alcohol, and is easily oxidized.

2-Butanol is a chiral compound, and exists in two enantiomeric forms:  (R)-2-butanol and (S)-2-butanol:

2-Methyl-1-propanol, or isobutanol, or isobutyl alcohol, is a three-carbon chain, with the OH group on and end carbon and a methyl group on the middle carbon.  It is used as a solvent, in paints and inks, and in the manufacture of some coatings and varnishes.

Isobutyl alcohol is a primary (1º) alcohol, and is easily oxidized.

2-Methyl-2-propanol, or tert-butanol, or tert-butyl alcohol, or t-butyl alcohol, is a three-carbon chain, with the OH group and a methyl group on the middle carbon.  (Since the alcoholic carbon is connected to three other carbons, it is tertiary, hence the prefix "tert".)  It is used as a solvent, a denaturant for ethanol, as an octane booster in gasoline, and in some pain thinners.

tert-Butyl alcohol is a tertiary (3º) alcohol, and does not react with oxidizing agents.  It is useful in organic synthesis, in the form of the t-butoxide anion, which is generated by the reaction of tert-butanol with sodium or a strong base such as sodium hydride, which removes the slightly acidic hydrogen from the OH group, leaving behind a negative charge on the oxygen.  The t-butoxide anion is a strong base, but its steric bulk makes it slow to participate in nucleophilic substitution reactions, making it more likely to participate in elimination reactions.

Ethylene glycol is produced industrially from ethylene:  the ethylene is oxidized to form ethylene oxide, which reacts with water to produce ethylene glycol.  It is used in the manufacture of they polyester polyethylene terephthalane (PET), and also to remove water vapor from natural gas.

Ethylene glycol is used in antifreeze — pure ethylene glycol freezes at -12.9°C (8.8°F), but a 50:50 mixture of ethylene glycol and water freezes at around -40°C (-40°F).  It is also used as an airplane de-icer, a humectant (an anti-drying agent that keeps other substances moist), used in ball point pen inks.

Ethylene glycol is toxic; in the body it is metabolized into glycolic acid (if one alcohol group is oxidized to a carboxylic acid) and oxalic acid (if both alcohol groups are oxidized), which can cause irregular heartbeat and respiration, and kidney failure.  The antidote for ethylene glycol poisoning is ethanol:  since ethanol competes for the same alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme that metabolizes ethylene glycol, flooding the body with alcohol can help to flush the ethylene glycol out of the system.

1,2-Propanediol, or propylene glycol, is a tasteless, odorless, clear liquid.  Like ethylene glycol, it is miscible with water, because of hydrogen bonding.  It is used in antifreeze, as a moisturizer in lotions, foods, and some medicines and cosmetics, and as a solvent for food dyes.  It is also used to make artificial smoke.

1,2,3-Propanetriol, better known as glycerol or glycerin, is a viscous, colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting liquid.  It is used as an emollient (softening agent) in cosmetics; as a humectant (anti-drying agent) in toothpaste, candies, medicines, tobacco (where it keeps leaves from drying and crumbling), and glues (prevent glue from drying in the bottle). It is also used in some plastics, especially cellophane, as a plasticizer to keep the plastic soft and pliable. Glycerol also contributes to the sweet, smooth taste of some wines.  Because it can form three sets of hydrogen bonds, it is extremely soluble in water, and has a very high boiling point (290°C).

Glycerol combines with fatty acids (long-chain carboxylic acids) to make an series of biologically important molecules called the triglycerides (fats and oils).

Benzyl alcohol, or phenylmethanol, is used in perfumes, flavors, soaps, cosmetics, ointments, and ball point pen inks; it is also used in some anti-itching medications.

Cinnamic alcohol, or cinnamyl alcohol, is found in cinnamon leaves (hence the name), usually in the form of an ester; it is also found in Tolu balsam, the resin of the Myroxylon toluifera tree.  It has an odor similar to that of hyacinth, and is used in perfumes (particularly in lilac and other floral scents), deodorants, flavoring agent, soaps, and cosmetics.

In 1937, the S.E. Massengill Co. marketed sulfanilamide (a sulfa drug) dissolved in diethylene glycol as "Elixir Sulfanilamide"; over a hundred people died of poisoning by the DEG, and this incident catalyzed the passage of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which greatly expanded the power of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the safety of foods, medicines, and cosmetics.  Several other cases of DEG poisoning have resulted from DEG either being added to wines in an attempt to sweeten them, or because of its presence in improperly purified medications and cosmetics.  In May of 2007, several cheap brands of toothpaste originating in China were removed from the market in several countries because they were found to be contaminated with DEG (labeled on the containers as "glycerine").

Cyclohexanol is a cyclic, secondary alcohol.  It is used in some organic synthesis reactions, in the manufacture of celluloid, textiles, and some insecticides.